As part of the International Potato Tour, our team visited Egypt — one of the key countries in global potato exports. A central point of our journey was a meeting with MORSHED COMPANY and its CEO, Mr. Asem Morshed, whose activities are well-known in the markets of the Middle East, Europe, and Russia.
Egypt as a Global Potato Hub
Today, Egypt is not only a country with a favorable climate and developed agrologistics but also an important player in the global table and processing potato market. Export deliveries reach Russia, Greece, Lebanon, the Gulf countries, and Africa. Thanks to early harvest seasons and advanced storage and packaging infrastructure, Egyptian potatoes consistently appear on international markets during periods when supply from other regions is limited.
In this context, MORSHED COMPANY occupies a special place — as a company that has built a full-cycle potato operation: from fields and collaboration with farmers to modern packaging and export.
Getting to Know MORSHED COMPANY
During our visit, we toured the company’s packing facility, where dozens to hundreds of tons of potatoes are processed and prepared for shipment daily to different markets. Here, potatoes undergo washing, size and quality sorting, packaging, and labeling according to the requirements of the importing country.
Special attention is paid to packaging standards:
- Red bags — shipments to Russia
- Yellow bags — Lebanon
- Green and blue bags — Greece
Differences between batches include not only labeling but also tuber grading, size requirements, and appearance standards. For example, the Russian market emphasizes uniform size and batch consistency, while Mediterranean countries focus more on shape and product presentation.
Approach to Working with Farmers
MORSHED COMPANY operates under a mixed model: some fields are leased and managed with the company’s specialists, while part of the production is purchased from large farms based on pre-agreed contracts and fixed prices. This approach allows them to:
- Ensure stable raw material quality
- Plan export volumes
- Reduce risks for farmers during unstable seasons
According to Mr. Asem Morshed, predictability and long-term partnerships are key factors for business sustainability amid fluctuations in global prices and overproduction in certain regions.
Quality, Seeds, and Technology
Another topic discussed during the visit was the selection of seed material and potato varieties. In Egypt, European varieties are widely used, targeting both the table market and processing. Company priorities include:
- High yield
- Disease resistance
- Large and uniform tubers in demand on export markets
The company also emphasizes agricultural technologies, irrigation systems (including pivot systems), soil structure, and water quality — all critical for potato cultivation in arid and semi-desert regions.
Russia as a Key Market
It was emphasized during discussions that Russia remains one of MORSHED COMPANY’s most important export destinations. The Russian market values Egyptian potatoes during the off-season when domestic production is limited, but demand from retail chains remains high.
Topics such as logistics, supply seasonality, and retailer requirements — including contracts, volumes, and quality consistency — were discussed. These factors determine which batches go to the table market and which to processing.
A Global Perspective on the Potato Market
A key topic of the meeting was potato overproduction in some countries and, as a result, price pressure. Participants agreed that today it is especially important to:
- Have reliable data on global production volumes
- Understand actual demand from processors and retailers
- Build dialogue among farmers, exporters, processing companies, and seed suppliers
This is precisely the goal of the International Potato Tour — to collect information from different regions of the world and create a platform for sharing real, practical data on the state of the industry.
Packing Facility as an Industry Showcase
The MORSHED COMPANY packing station demonstrated how modern infrastructure affects product competitiveness. Automated lines allow the company to:
- Reduce sorting losses
- Increase shipping speed
- Adapt batches to the requirements of different countries and retail chains
Such flexibility is especially important in a rapidly changing market with increasingly strict customer requirements.
A Dialogue That Continues
The visit to MORSHED COMPANY showed that the future of the potato industry relies not only on technology and production volumes but also on open international dialogue. Egyptian producers, Russian importers, European processors, and global seed suppliers are all part of one chain, where success depends on transparency, trust, and accurate information.
The International Potato Tour continues its journey to show the world the real work of farmers and companies behind every batch of potatoes on supermarket shelves.
If you represent a company, farm, or industry organization and want to be part of the International Potato Tour, contact the POTATOES NEWS editorial team.
Contacts:
E-mail: i@viktorkovalev.ru
WhatsApp: +7 961 472-02-02
Sorted and packed specially for potato growers.
